RANDOM SHOTS: Aerial photos of Bubunawan River right after Sendong

Here are aerial photos by Jed R. Lasmarias (from facebook) of upstream Bubunawan River a few days after Typhoon Sendong showing the devastation of the river and its abutting areas including a small hydroelectric power plant of Bubunawan Power, an affiliate of CEPALCO and Rio Verde Water Consortium’s intake facilities, both located along the said river.

Bubunawan River is just one of the main tributaries of Cagayan de Oro River with headwaters in the Kitanglad Range. The hydropower facility is in Imbatug, Baungon while the water intake facility is in Pualas, Baungon. There is a reinforced concrete deck girder (RCDC) bridge at the hydropower site which withstood the rampaging “river of mud”. A large deposit of the said mud can be seen in the bridge’s vicinity. This is approximately 25 kilometers upstream of Cagayan de Oro City.

The dam shown below is also intact contradicting early rumors.

Rio Verde’s Infiltration Gallery was virtually wiped out as shown below. Only the pumping station was left.

In many of the photos below, you can observe the massive erosion and scouring on the riverbanks as well as the estimated height of the river during the storm which is almostat least 5 times the current level (in my observation). By the way, before the incident, Bubunawan River is a popular place for kayaking enthusiasts.